Best Ways to Save on St. Louis, MO Auto Insurance

Are you researching more affordable insurance rates in St. Louis, MO? St. Louis consumers have lots of choices when looking for the best price on car insurance. You can either spend your time calling around to get rate comparisons or save time using the internet to compare rates.

There are more efficient ways to shop for insurance so you're going to learn the proper way to quote coverages on a and locate the lowest possible price from both online companies and St. Louis agents.

Premium influencing factors

Many things are used in the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are more transparent such as your credit history or how financially stable you are.

Get married and get cheaper rates - Being married may earn you lower rates on auto insurance. Marriage usually means you are more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Better auto insurance rates on safer cars - Vehicles that have high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.

Save money by having responsible credit - An insured's credit history is likely to be a major factor in determining your rates. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history is not that good, you could save money insuring your vehicle by improving your credit score.

Rates can drop if you have more than one policy - Most major insurance companies provide a discount to customers that purchase more than one policy. It's known as a multi-policy discount. The amount of the discounts can be ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal.

Can a thief steal your car? - Selecting a car model with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all help prevent auto theft and help lower rates.

What are good liability coverage limits? - Your policy's liability coverage kicks in if you are responsible for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.

Don't abuse policy claims - Insurance companies in Missouri award discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you're an insured who likes to file claims you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is intended for claims that pose a financial burden.

The following companies have been selected to offer free quotes in Missouri. If multiple providers are shown, it's highly recommended you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Data rating is based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Missouri minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in specific garaging location which can change prices noticeably.

Difference between full coverage and liability only rates

The information below illustrates the difference between Honda Pilot insurance costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The information is based on a clean driving record, no claims, $500 deductibles, married male driver, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to drop full coverage

There isn't a steadfast formula for dropping full coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

For example, let's pretend your Honda Pilot claim settlement value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, you would only receive $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $600 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not advised. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.

Auto insurance premiums based on gender

The example below illustrates the comparison of car insurance costs for male and female drivers in St. Louis. The rate quotes are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied on a Honda Civic EX-L.

The largest companies are not always cheapest

Consumers in Missouri can't avoid all the ads that promise big savings by Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all make the same claim of big savings if you move to them.

How is it plausible that every one can make the same claim? Here is the trick they use.

Companies give the best rates for the type of driver that earns them the most money. For example, a desirable insured may need to be over age 30, has no tickets, and drives a safe vehicle. A propective insured who fits those characteristics will probably get cheap prices and will also save money with a new company.

People who may not quite match these standards must pay higher premiums and this results in the customer not purchasing. The trick is to say "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" can save as much as they claim. That's why insurance companies can make claims like that.

This really drives home the point why you need to compare as many free St. Louis auto insurance quotes as you can. It's just not possible to know which car insurance company will have the best prices at this point in time.

Why you need to buy auto insurance

Despite the high cost of buying insurance in St. Louis, maintaining insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.

Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability insurance coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. In Missouri these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.

If you bought your vehicle with a loan, it's guaranteed your bank will have a requirement that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your vehicle for a lot more money and require you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.

Auto insurance protects both your vehicle and your assets. Insurance will pay for all forms of medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.

The benefits of carrying adequate insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly for liability claims. The average driver in America is overpaying over $825 a year so we recommend shopping around every year to save money.

Reduce your auto insurance rates with discounts

Auto insurance companies do not list all available discounts very well, so we researched a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous discounts that may be available.

Early Renewal Discounts - Select companies give a discount for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. You can save around 10% with this discount.

Safety Restraint Discount - Forcing all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off the PIP or medical payment premium.

Discounts for Cautious Drivers - Insureds without accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.

Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with some auto insurance companies.

Theft Deterrent Discount - Cars and trucks with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

Anti-lock Brake System - Cars with anti-lock braking systems can stop better under adverse conditions and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

Buy New and Save - Buying a new car instead of a used car can save you some money because new vehicles are generally safer.

One Accident Forgiven - This isn't a discount exactly, but a few companies such as GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive may permit one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.

Professional Memberships - Having an affiliation with qualifying employment or professional organizations could trigger savings when getting a St. Louis auto insurance quote.

Please keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.

Check with every insurance company to give you their best rates. Some credits may not be available in St. Louis. If you would like to choose from a list of insurance companies with discount rates in St. Louis, click this link.

When should I have guidance from an agent?

A lot of people just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is a smart decision Agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help file insurance claims. A nice benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that you can find cheaper car insurance rates and also buy local. Supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is especially important in St. Louis.

By using this quick form, the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who want to provide quotes for your coverage. There is no need to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go instantly to you. In the event you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, just navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.

St. Louis auto insurance agents are either independent or exclusive

If you are searching for a local agent, you should know the different agency structures and how they operate. Agencies in St. Louis can be classified as either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Both can insure your vehicles, but it is a good idea to know why they differ because it can influence the kind of agent you use.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not restricted to one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies through lots of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a lower price, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don't have to switch agencies.

If you are comparing rate quotes, you definitely need to compare prices from several independent agencies to get the best comparison. Many write coverage with small mutual carriers that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.

Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in St. Louis that may be able to give you cheap rate quotes.

Exclusive Insurance Agents

Agents that choose to be exclusive write business for a single company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so if the price isn't competitive there isn't much they can do. Exclusive agents are highly trained on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. A lot of people purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in St. Louis who can help you get price quote information.

Finding the right car insurance agent is decision based upon more than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:

Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?

If you have an accident, will your rates go up?

Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?

Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?

Do they write coverage based solely on cost?

Will the agent help in case of a claim?

What is YOUR best insurance company?

You just learned a lot of information how to get a better price on insurance in St. Louis. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates are with a small local company.

When searching for low cost St. Louis auto insurance quotes, it's very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice full coverage only to discover later they didn't purchase enough coverage. The goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

People change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as being labeled a high risk driver, delays in paying claims, extreme rates for teen drivers and delays in responding to claim requests. No matter why you want to switch, finding a great new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.